The Wrong Choice
by Purple Roses Poetry
Summary: What could possibly cause a seemingly loving father to sell his sons into servitude? Character study of Brennan Jones. Explores the perspective of Hook's father during the events that took place in Swan Song.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. Some of the dialogue in this story was taken directly from Once Upon a Time: Swan Song. **

"Father, Father!" Brennan Jones heard the voice of his youngest son call out.

"It's alright, son. I'm here," he responded as he entered the cabin where his children were sleeping, wondering what was troubling his boy.

The cabin was pitch black. That explained Killian's fear. Nine years old and the child was still terrified of the dark. Liam – his oldest – had been much braver when he was still Killian's age.

Still, Brennan immediately relit the lantern, even though it really was a waste of oil. Now was not the time to have Killian face his fear. Not when he was sleeping in an unfamiliar place.

"See? There's nothing to be afraid of," Brennan reassured his son as he made his way over to the bed where Killian was struggling to fall asleep. "Now... remember, whenever you feel scared, all you have to do is look inside. We're all braver than we think if we just look deep enough. Before you know it, you're gonna be a man, so I'm just trying to prepare you 'cause then you're gonna have to answer life's big question. What kind of man are you going to be?"

Brennan was good at this – consoling his children, Killian in particular. He always knew how to comfort his boys. In the rare times that Liam needed to be reassured, all Brennan had to do was bolster his confidence by reminding him that the strong, resilient boy he was could persevere in any situation. Killian, however, was much less optimistic in his abilities than his big brother and struggled to be independent. Brennan needed to take a different approach with him. What seemed to comfort Killian the most was the fact that he wouldn't be a scared little boy forever. One day he would be a man, and he had the potential to be a great one at that.

Yes, Brennan didn't have many talents, but he always considered himself to be a decent father. He had been a good husband too, before his wife had gotten sick. He was definitely a family man at heart.

Still, he had been struggling lately, and he was becoming increasingly unsure of his ability to provide the life that his sons deserved. The problems had started after his wife died. She had been a kind woman and a perfect mother. Admittedly, Brennan had never intended to wed her. Liam was the result of a lapse in judgement on both their parts, after which he felt obligated to marry her. He would never subject his child to the fate of being considered illegitimate. Nevertheless, Brennan had cared for her, he just couldn't fall in love with her, no matter how hard he tried.

The two of them had always gotten along well. They had a peaceful and agreeable marriage, and both of them were fulfilled by the love they held for their sons. Brennan had been a content man when the plague reached their town two years prior. Fortunately, Brennan didn't get sick at all, and his children only contracted mild cases of the illness from which they recovered in less than a week's time. His wife, on the other hand, had no such luck. She died slowly, getting progressively sicker everyday for almost a month until she finally succumbed to death.

The hardest part of her passing had been the affect it had on his boys. His once happy and energetic children had been overcome with melancholy. They were in need of his attention more than ever. He couldn't ask Liam to take over caring for Killian when he was still only a child, and a grieving one at that. Brennan's pleasant, simple life was completely obliterated as he struggled to balance working with caring for his sons. He eventually lost his job after he failed to show up one too many times, and that's when things had really gotten bad.

He had turned to gambling when he no longer had any other way to put food on the table for himself and his family. However, it turned out Brennan wasn't a very skilled gambler, and before he knew it he was in more debt than ever before. That's when he turned to stealing, which he ultimately failed at as well. He had gotten caught lifting goods from the most powerful merchant in the village, and that's how he found himself in his current predicament.

Before they had boarded the ship, Brennan told the boys that they were going on an adventure. They were going to travel the world and explore distant lands together. Killian had believed him without question and seemed excited for the journey. Liam, conversely, was definitely a bit suspicious. He was fourteen now, after all, and he had shown himself to be smarter than the average teenager. Still, Liam had packed his bags and left home without any resistance.

Brennan felt guilty ripping his children away from their home. Looking back, he knew he should have tried harder to find honest employment before resorting to gambling and stealing, but he accepted that he couldn't do anything now to change the past.

"I want to be just like you," Killian smiled as he responded to Brennan's question about what kind of man he would grow to be.

"Well, that's a nice answer, son," Brennan chuckled, savoring this moment in which his son looked up to him. He knew that one day he would eventually have to admit to his sons the real reason they had to leave home, and that was a day that he dreaded.

"Now, close your eyes and find that brave part deep inside yourself, hmm?" He continued to speak to his youngest. "And you don't have to worry about a thing. Your father will watch the light for you. Just go to sleep, Killian. Go to sleep."

He watched as Killian blinked, quickly falling into a deep sleep. Brennan knew he must have been exhausted. His fear was the only thing keeping him awake, and it had completely disappeared once he had his father by his side.

He exited the cabin and walked back up to the main deck of the ship. He looked out into the night and pondered where he and his sons might end up. He was confident that no matter what happened they would be alright as long as they had each other. That's when the Captain approached him.

"Brennan Jones?" The man questioned.

"Yes?" Brennan replied hesitantly, a sudden feeling of dread washing over him.

"Quite the situation you've found yourself mixed up in," the Captain remarked.

"Pardon?" Brennan asked, already suspecting what the man was referring to.

"You're a thief, a fugitive!" The Captain snarled. "And you boarded my ship under false pretenses."

Brennan didn't know how to respond, so he said nothing.

"You think you're so clever," the Captain continued. "You thought that you could just runaway and never have to face any consequences, didn't you? Well, you were wrong. There are soldiers waiting for you at the next port. You will be arrested and you will be punished."

At this, Brennan panicked, having no idea how to handle the situation at hand. What would happen to him? What would happen to his children?

"Please," he begged the Captain. "There must be something that I can do to avoid capture. I have my two sons with me. My wife is dead. They'll have no one to take care of them if I am caught, and with a criminal for a father they'll be even lower than orphans."

The Captain seemed to think for a moment before he pointed to something on the other side of the deck. Upon further inspection, Brennan realized that it was a rowboat.

"That rowboat is old, I have no use for it anymore. Still, it would hold up for the amount of time that it would take you to get to shore. It's yours, if you so wish."

"Oh, thank you!" Brennan started to say before the man cut him off.

"Now wait," he said. "I don't know how you haven't learned this by now son, but nothing in life is free. If you want to use that rowboat, you're going to need to provide payment first."

"But I haven't got any money," Brennan told him.

"Oh," the Captain chuckled. "You have something just as valuable as money – livestock."

"What do you – wait a minute! Are you talking about my children?!" Brennan quickly realized. The man nodded. "No! No way in hell! I'm not going to trade my boys!"

"Well, you're a fool then," the Captain told him. He held up his hand when it appeared that Brennan was going to respond. "Now hear me out. You only have two options here. This is what will happen if you decide not to buy my rowboat. You will be apprehended when we reach the next port. Your children will watch as you're arrested; all the illusions they had of you will be shattered. You will be punished appropriately, leaving your sons to fend for themselves. They'll become street rats, doomed to a life of poverty and perpetual disappointment in their father."

Brennan shuttered at the idea of his sons living all alone on the streets.

"However," the Captain continued. "If you decided to buy my rowboat, you have a chance of avoiding punishment completely. You can begin a new life as an honest man. Meanwhile, your sons will be here, under my service. In exchange for some minimal labor, they will always have food and shelter provided for them. And you know what? Eventually your crimes will be forgotten. The soldiers will move on to finding other criminals, and you can save up your money for when they do. One day you'll be able to buy your sons back, and I'm sure they'll forgive you for your past mistakes."

At that moment, Brennan decided that the Captain was right. He had somehow gotten himself into a situation where trading his sons appeared to be his best option. He immediately agreed to purchase the rowboat, not allowing himself any time to let his emotions cloud his judgement.

Before departing, he went back to the cabin to collect his things. He took a long look at both of his sleeping children and he gave them both one last kiss on their foreheads. "_I'll come back for them,_" he repeated over and over again in his head as he left them behind.

He rowed away from the ship, still assuring himself that he would get his boys back as soon as he was able. Telling himself that they wouldn't be apart for long.

He was caught almost immediately after he reached shore. He was to be put under a sleeping curse, and his chances of ever waking up from it were almost nothing. He would likely never seen his sons again. They would be trapped on the ship as slaves, maybe forever. His last thought before he was put under the curse was that he made the wrong choice. He should have stayed with his sons, no matter what.

* * *

Brennan was almost positive that there was a pirate in his tavern, and he really didn't know how one was supposed to handle such a situation.

Earlier that night, when he had spotted the man, his first thought was that he should kick him out. The man was dressed in all leather, was wearing eyeliner and an earring, and even had a hook for a hand. He certainly fit the physical description of a pirate, and even if he wasn't one, he still looked suspicious. There was also something familiar about him as well, but Brennan was sure he'd remember if he met such a man before. Still, Brennan hesitated to take action. He decided he would keep an eye on the man and would only ask him to leave if he started to cause problems.

Brennan had watched as the man sat down at a table in the corner of the room, keeping a distance from the other costumers. He sat there silently the whole night, drinking rum and tapping his hook against the tabletop. Brennan could have sworn he saw the man glaring at him at one point, but then again it could very well have been his mind playing tricks on him. As the night went on, all of the costumers gradually left, all except for the man. Eventually, all the staff went home as well, leaving only Brennan to clean up.

Brennan sighed to himself. The man clearly wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. He just sat at the other end of the room, tapping his hook and nursing the last of his drink. Brennan didn't want to get into an altercation with this man, especially if he actually was a pirate, but the tavern was closed now and the man needed to leave so he could lock up.

"Look... I don't want any trouble, but we're closed, mate," Brennan finally addressed the man, stepping out from behind the bar.

Now the man definitely was glaring at him, no question about it.

"Why might I cause trouble?" He spoke to Brennan. "Because I'm a dirty pirate? Or because I'm a boy whose father abandoned him on the high seas?"

A wave of realization washed over Brennan. Suddenly, he realized why the man before him looked so familiar, he was looking at one of his sons. But which one? Brennan studied the man's face. It was remarkably similar to his own. Killian. When it came to looks, Liam had always favored his mother, but Killian – except for the blue eyes, Killian was all him.

"Killian?" Brennan questioned. He needed the man to confirm his suspicions. How could this be? He hadn't seen his sons for almost 200 years, they should have both died by now. Yet, here one of them stood before him. All grown up, yet still certainly younger than Brennan himself. Most likely in his early 30s. But how could that be?

"Aye," The man- no - Killian, confirmed as he rose from his seat. "But it's Captain Hook now. You once told me I had to decide what kind of man I wanted to be. Well, Father... this is who I became!"

"_What on earth?!," _Brennan thought. He had heard of Captain Hook before, he was a notorious criminal. He just couldn't understand how his little boy had grown up to be a ruthless pirate Captain.

Killian had been afraid of almost everything. He would get nightmares and would have to sleep in either his or Liam's bed. He was overly sensitive. Brennan used to have to watch what he said in front of him as not to make him upset. He liked to paint, he liked to make-up stories, he used to sing to himself as he read. He was the baby of the family, Brennan's baby, yet, somehow he turned into _this_ since Brennan last laid eyes on him.

"How is this possible? I left nearly two centuries ago," Brennan asked his son.

"We both found a way to cheat death," Killian replied simply.

"That we did," remarked Brennan. He still had more questions about how his son had managed to survive for this long, but first there was another question weighing more heavily on his mind. "Your brother?"

"Liam... was not so fortunate," Killian told him. His voice was void of much emotion, but Brennan could see the pain in his eyes.

He suddenly felt like he was going to throw up. It was not so much the knowledge that Liam was deceased. He had presumed both Liam and Killian had died long ago when he was first awoken from his curse and realized how long he had been asleep for. However, he had also believed that Liam and Killian had gotten to spend their lives together.

Brennan had liked to picture what his sons' lives had been like. In his mind, he always imagined that Liam and Killian had somehow saved enough money to buy their freedom and had gone on to find honest employment, fall in love, and raise their families along-side each other. Now, all of those illusions were shattered with the revelation that Liam had died and Killian was alone.

"But you... look at you," Brennan decided to focus his attention on the son who stood in front of him. "You grew up. Where have you been?"

"Neverland. I was biding my time until I found a way to kill myself a crocodile," Killian answered him. Though what he said really only left Brennan with more questions. Where was Neverland and why was Killian so determined to kill a crocodile? "It's a tale of woe and revenge but one that you don't need to be concerned with. It's your tale that matters. So, tell me father, where does a scoundrel like you run after he's sold his sons into servitude?" "

"Oh, I'm sorry, Killian. Truly, I am," Brennan apologized, though it wasn't nearly enough to make up for what he had done. His apology was genuine though, but he could tell that it didn't mean much to his son. "I ran. I didn't get far. Not long after I left you and Liam, I got caught and put under a sleeping curse."

"A sleeping curse? How the bloody hell are you awake now?"

"How does anyone break a curse? True love's kiss." Brennan explained to his son.

"Who could ever find a way to love you?" Killian shot back at him. The honesty of his question stung Brennan.

"My nurse. I could hear her speaking as I slumbered. Her voice was so kind, so gentle. She made me see the error of my ways. I fell in love with her. And she with me."

Yes, it was a strange but true story. Being under a sleeping curse was like a nightmare for Brennan. It was as if he was transported to another world. It felt almost like a dream in that everything felt surreal. He couldn't keep track of time either. It always felt that he was cursed just minutes ago yet at the same time centuries. But it was also so different from a dream. He could think clearly and everything he experienced felt real.

The worst thing about the curse was the loneliness. He agonized for any kind of contact with another human being, even if it was only for a brief amount of time. Just when he was about to reach his breaking point, he heard her voice, his future wife.

She always spoke softly to him. She would tell him about her day, her past, what was happening in the world around him, everything. She was the sweetest, most kind-hearted person he had ever met, yet he had no way of communicating with her. Sometimes she would speak to him about her philosophical views on life. She believed that anyone could be redeemed; she was willing to forgive even the worst of sins. Brennan was sure they'd get along well, if only he could tell her how he felt.

Then it happened one day. She kissed him, true love's kissed. She was shocked when he awoke. She didn't know that Brennan had been able to hear her all that time, being under a sleeping curse and all. Brennan was confused as well. How could anyone fall in love with a sleeping man? But she explained that caring for him day after day had caused her to grow attached to him. She also had no family, and few friends, so she spent most of her time with Brennan. Her attachment to him gradually grew into love.

She had also read the files that the hospital had on him. She understood why he had been cursed to begin with. She thought he was a good man who had made mistakes out of desperation, and she wished more than anything that he could have a second chance at a happy life. She was overjoyed when he woke up. He was thrilled just to have the chance to speak back to her. They were married within a month's time.

"She changed me," Brennan continued to tell Killian his story. "I just... I just... wish... that I'd known her when we were together. You could've had the father you wanted. The father you deserved. I'm so sorry."

She really did change him. As happy as Brennan was to have another chance at life and love when he awoke, he was still overwhelmed with guilt over the fate he had left his children to. His new love was able to overlook his past sins. She had helped him realize how his poor decisions had led up to his terrible fate. She had alleviated his fears about failing another child when she had fallen pregnant with their son. He had loved her like no other woman he had been with before. She had truly saved his life.

"Where is this woman?" Killian questioned.

"A few years... after we married... she fell ill," Brennan told him. He sat down at one of the tables, it was still difficult for him to talk about. "The plague. She never recovered," he finished.

Yes, in a cruel twist of fate, the sickness that killed his first wife had also taken away his true love. However, thanks to the time he spent with her, he hadn't destroyed his life the second time around. He had managed to maintain running the tavern he and his wife had purchased together, continue to be a good father to his son, and to stray far away from any kind of criminal activity.

"I came here to kill you, Father," Killian suddenly admitted, surprising Brennan. He knew that his son had somehow gown up to be a pirate, but he just still couldn't wrap his head around the idea that his little boy could cause harm to another, let alone kill somebody… let alone kill _him._ "Your life was the price I had to pay to finally get my revenge. But we've both lost too much."

The feeling of relief washed over Brennan.

"You're going to spare me?" He asked.

"In a manner of speaking. The world must believe you're dead. The queen, everyone must think I killed you. I can secure you a letter of transit to take you far from this place. Maybe you can start again."

More questions filled Brennan's mind. What had Killian gotten himself involved in? Why would he have to kill his father in order to get his revenge? How was the queen involved in all of this? And what had happened to his hand?

He quickly decided that none of that was really important. The only thing that mattered was that the son he thought dead stood here before him, alive and seemingly healthy. He honestly didn't want to start over _again, _but it seemed to be the best option for him and his son. But he didn't want to leave just yet. He didn't want to let his son go again when he had just gotten him back. He stood again.

"You'll come with me?" He asked his child, trying to disguise his desperation.

"No," Killian responded immediately, shattering any ideas Brennan had of reconnecting. "See, I had a love, too. And she was taken from me. You can't destroy the plague that took yours, but I can destroy the plague that took mine. I must continue on."

Brennan felt horrible for his son. Loosing your love… it was a fate worst than death. Brennan was sure that if it weren't for Liam II, he would have never been able to continue on after the death of his second wife. But Killian – he had nobody. He seemed to have latched on to the idea of getting revenge as his sole purpose. Brennan highly suspected that it was the one thing that had kept him going after the passing of his love.

"I hope you find peace... Son," he told Killian sincerely. In a show of fatherly affection, he placed a hand on his boy's shoulder, but Killian shrugged it off instantly.

"We must hurry," he said, his voice taking a business-like tone. "Any delay will arouse suspicion. I'll bring the letter of transit tonight."

With that, Killian began walking toward the door of the tavern. However, the sound of Brennan's voice stopped him.

"Actually... would it be possible... to bring two?" Brennan asked hesitantly. He knew it was a question that needed to be voiced; he wouldn't be able to leave another son behind. Still, he had no idea how Killian would react to the news of having another brother.

"Two?" Killian pondered, suspicion evident in his voice.

"My wife and I... we had a son." Brennan told him.

For a moment, Killian looked shocked, but then his face quickly shifted back to a neutral expression. He simply nodded before exciting the tavern, leaving Brennan alone once again.

Brennan sighed as he looked around his tavern, taking it in for the last time. The place was one of his proudest accomplishments. After he awoke from his curse, he began to work at the hospital where he had been cared for. After a couple of years of hard, honest work he had saved up enough money to buy the tavern.

His wife had also put a great deal of her savings into maintaining the establishment when it first opened. She had complete faith that he would be able to successfully run the business. It turns out her faith in him was justified. The tavern proved to be a successful business venture that made enough money to support their family. His wife was even able to permanently leave her job as a nurse after the birth of their son. It would be hard to give the place up so suddenly.

"_Oh well,"_ Brennan thought as he emptied all of the money from the profits box. He had to leave, there were no other options. It's what needed to be done for Killian.

He exited the tavern and walked over to the small cabin situated behind the establishment. It was always so convenient having his home on the same property as his place of business. It was just another thing that he would miss now that he had to leave. He bid farewell to the woman he paid to watch Liam II when he worked during the evenings and began to gather all of their important belongings. Liam – who was already fast asleep in his bed – awoke to the sounds of his father packing.

"Father, what are you doing?" The child questioned. "Are we going on a trip?"

"Yes," Brennan smiled at his youngest son. "We're leaving tomorrow at the break of dawn. It's time for us to move on from this place and start a new life."

"But why? We're already happy here."

At this, Brennan hesitated, not sure how much he should disclose to his son. He previously explained to the boy that he had two other sons who died before Liam was born. The child also knew that he was named after his older brothers – Liam Killian Jones. However, he did yet know that Brennan had abandoned these boys and had been subsequently placed under a sleeping curse for over a century. Liam was definitely too young to understand that one of his brothers was actually alive and was now a pirate who had been ordered to murder Brennan.

Brennan picked up his son and placed him back into his bed.

"Sometimes people just need to move on," he told Liam. "It can be very exciting to travel to new places."

At that, Liam nuzzled into him, clearly incredibly tired. Brennan told him a quick story before he made him go back to sleep. The child calmed down tremendously and Brennan began to tuck him in properly.

"I'm scared, Father. I don't want to leave here in the morning," Liam iterated one last time before succumbing to exhaustion.

"I know, but we'll be okay. You and I will find another home. What matters most is that we're together. We can face anything that way," Brennan assured the boy, still confident in his ability to comfort his children after all these years. "Now, it's late. Close your eyes and remember... whenever you're scared, all you have to do is look inside. We're all braver than we think if we just look deep enough. Sleep tight. I'll see you in the morning, Liam."

He kissed Liam on the forehead, proud that he was still able to remember the comforting words he told Killian in a different life. He vowed that this night would not end the same way the night on the ship had. He would never abandon another child.

He heard movement outside the house and figured that Killian had returned with the letters of transit. He walked outside to greet his son.

"Thank you, Killian," Brennan said as he approached him. It was hard to see clearly in the dark, but Killian appeared to be upset.

"You named your boy Liam. After my brother, after the son you abandoned. Was he really that easy to replace?" His voice shook as he questioned Brennan.

Brennan felt horrible. He never wanted Killian to believe that he had forgotten him. He thought about his two oldest sons every single day and would forever regret the choices he made that caused them to be separated.

"I wasn't trying to replace him. I was trying to honor him, to honor you both. So I'd remember never to make the same mistake," he tried his best to explain.

"No, people don't change," Killian spoke, his voice now sounding more angry than upset. He pointed at Brennan. "I saw what you said to him in there! It's the same thing you said to me! It was a lie then, and it's a lie now!"

"Killian, please, it's not true," Brennan attempted to convince him. "I have changed. I would never leave him."

"But you would leave me."

Brennan's heart broke, and all he wanted to do was take his son's pain away. But he was the one who had caused that pain. For the first time, he truly realized that he would never be able to amend the damage he created.

He watched as Killian threw the letters of transit he held in his hand into the fire that was blazing outside the cabin.

"Killian, please, what are you doing?!" Brennan begged him. Somehow, he knew what was about to happen. He understood that he deserved his fate, but he was still desperate not to leave Liam II on his own.

"Deciding what kind of man I want to be," Killian declared, mocking the last conversation he had with his father as a child. "You see, if the queen discovers that I've deceived her, I might not get what I need, and I can't have that. You're just not worth it."

With that, he retrieved a dagger from inside his coat, and stabbed Brennan before the man could properly react.

Brennan feel to the ground as he cried out in agony. With one last desperate movement he reached out for Killian who swiftly pushed him back down to the earth.

"Killian," he gasped. "It's never too late. You can change. Be a different man."

Killian simply looked at his father one last time before retreating from the scene before him.

Brennan laid on the ground, moaning his pain and clutching his wound. He watched his son walk away, quickly fading into the blackness of the night. As he bleed out, all he could think was that he hoped Killian would take his advice. He knew his son could be a great man, much better than him.

Brennan wasn't angry at Killian. He knew that it was his own poor choices that had sealed his fate. He had changed, but it was too late.

The end.

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this story! Let me know what you think of it it the comments!**

**I'm also thinking about writing a story of Brennan and Liam I meeting in the afterlife. Please also comment to let me know if that is something you would like to read.**


End file.
